Sir Patrick Stewart "didn't want" to return to 'Star Trek'

Asked why he wanted to return he admitted: "To be honest, I didn't want to.

"I had determined long ago that my time with Jean-Luc and Star Trek was over.

"I had given everything I could to the character in the series. But when this also came through about two years ago, I agreed with my agent that we would go and attend the meeting with [producers] Alex Kurtzman and Akiva Goldsman, and because their inquiry of me had been so polite and enthusiastic, I wanted to explain to them face-to-face why I was going to pass."

Patrick met with the producers, who "understood" his viewpoint but went on to explain their own "vision" for the series - which sparked his interest.

He added to Vulture: "I did [attend the meeting]. They listened to me talk for half an hour or so.

"They said fine, they understood all that, but they had a few more things they wanted to say and they talked in a little more detail about their vision for Picard.

"There was a lot of information; when the meeting broke up and we left, I said to my agent, 'You know, would you mind asking these people if they could put everything they said in writing so that I can read it, study it, think about it?'

"In less than two days, I had over 30 pages of copy, which I studied very carefully.

"One of the points that I had made in the meeting was that the only possible way I could consider returning to that life would be if, for example -- and this was only an example -- we did something like 'Logan', the final 'X-Men' movie I made with Hugh Jackman; then you would have my attention."

The veteran actor was left "intrigued" by their next response and the way they planned to refresh the series entirely.

He said: "They came back with quite a lot to say about that, and they were very enthusiastic about creating a world that was very different from the one that we got used to.

"I met with them again and we talked and talked and I told them about my uncertainties and doubts and little by little I found that they were all being addressed and being addressed in such an interesting way that I was intrigued.

"This was not going to be 'Star Trek: The Next Generation, Part Two'. That's why I said yes."